Athletic board

ABSTRACT

The athletic board which may serve as ski, water ski or floating board is disclosed. The athletic board includes a protection layer, a fiber layer connected to the protection layer, a sponge layer connected to the fiber layer and a rigid substrate layer connected to the sponge layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention generally relates to athletic equipments, particularly to athletic boards for gliding on water or snow.

2. Related Art

Athletic boards such as water skis, surfboards and skis require corrosion protection and certain structural strength. Also, their colors and patterns are important to enhance visual effect.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,349 discloses a body board composed of multiple layers of sheets. The outermost layer is a protection layer and the others are a graphics layer, a graphics layer, a binding layer, a deck foam and foam core, respectively. The previous four layers are also disposed on the other side of the foam core in the same order. The structure of '349 has drawbacks as follows:

-   -   1) The body board is composed of nine layers. So many layers         will increase production cost and reduce production efficiency.     -   2) The main structure is two layers of foam materials with         different density. The body board tends to be broken because the         foam material does not have great expandability and flexibility.     -   3) The graphics layer is disposed on the binding layer. The         binding layer is made of macromolecular polymer. A pattern must         be printed on a thin-film material first, and then the thin-film         material is adhered on the binding layer by hot pressing or hot         welding process. The processing is too complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to enhance expandability and flexibility of an athletic board.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the process of disposing the pattern layer and to increase production efficiency.

To accomplish the above objects, the athletic board of the invention includes a protection layer, a fiber layer connected to the protection layer, a sponge layer connected to the fiber layer and a rigid substrate layer connected to the sponge layer.

The fiber layer contained in the board has great strength and flexibility to resist bending and twisting. And the fiber layer may also be added with pattern. This may simplify manufacturing process of the boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a surfboard made by the structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A′ in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a disassembled view of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to FIGS. 1-3. The invention provides an athletic board serving as a surfboard, water ski, floating board or ski. The shown embodiment is a surfboard.

The athletic board includes four layers as follows:

A protection layer 10 which is formed by printing or coating and has a first side 11 and a second side 12. The coating material may be polymer or thermoplastic resin such as TPE or TPU. A surface of the protection layer may be smooth or granular and the protection layer may be transparent or light-permeable.

A fiber layer 20 having a first side 21 and a second side 22. The first side 21 of the fiber layer 20 is connected to the second side 12 of the protection layer 10. The fiber layer 20 is made of artificial or natural fiber. A pattern being colored planar or stereoscopic is disposed on one side 21 or 22 of the fiber layer 20 by printing and dyeing or weaving.

A sponge layer 30 made of low density sponge and having a first side 31 and a second side 32. The fires side 31 of the sponge layer 30 is connected to the second side 22 of the fiber layer 20.

A rigid substrate layer 40 made of high density sponge or plastic and having a first side 41 and a second side 42. The first side 41 of the rigid substrate layer 40 is connected to the second side 32 of the sponge layer 30. Further, two binding layers 50, 60 may be separately disposed between the sponge layer 30 and the fiber layer 20 and between the sponge layer 30 and the rigid substrate layer 40. The binding layers 50, 60 are binder. The fiber layer 20, sponge layer 30 and rigid substrate layer 40 are adhered by the bonding layers 50, 60.

The above structure may be employed to manufacture a surfboard as shown in FIG. 1. The fiber layer 20 contained in the surfboard has great strength and flexibility to resist bending and twisting. And the fiber layer 20 may also be added with pattern by printing and dyeing or weaving. This may simplify manufacturing process of the boards.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An athletic board comprising: a protection having a first side and a second side; a fiber layer having a first side and a second side, the first side of the fiber layer being connected to the second side of the protection layer; a sponge layer having a first side and a second side, the fires side of the sponge layer being connected to the second side of the fiber layer; and a rigid substrate layer having a first side and a second side, the first side of the rigid substrate layer is connected to the second side of the sponge layer.
 2. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the athletic board is a surfboard, water ski, floating board or ski.
 3. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the protection layer is formed by printing or coating.
 4. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the protection layer is transparent or light-permeable.
 5. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein at least one side of the fiber layer is provided with a pattern.
 6. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the fiber layer is made of artificial or natural fiber.
 7. The athletic board of claim 1, further comprising a bonding layer sandwiched between the fiber layer and the sponge layer.
 8. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the sponge layer is made of low density sponge.
 9. The athletic board of claim 7, wherein the binding layer is made of binder.
 10. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein the rigid substrate layer is made of high density sponge or plastic.
 11. The athletic board of claim 1, further comprising a bonding layer sandwiched between the sponge layer and the rigid substrate layer.
 12. The athletic board of claim 1, wherein a surface of the protection layer is smooth or granular.
 13. The athletic board of claim 4, wherein a surface of the protection layer is smooth or granular. 